


Be Still, My Beating Heart

by SpyPoet



Series: My Beating Heart, Be Still [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-01
Updated: 2011-05-01
Packaged: 2017-10-18 20:45:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/193116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpyPoet/pseuds/SpyPoet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave goes to confront Echidna so Jade doesn't have too, summoning Doomed Timeline Daves'. Jade mistakes one for Dave himself, leading to some unforgettable moments of combat and battle, as well as death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Be Still, My Beating Heart

Dave meant beloved. That was the thought that flashed through Jade Harley's head as she ran through the Land of Frost And Frogs, her tennis shoe clad feet crunching on the frosty snow on the ground. Her black hair flared out behind her in the wind caused by the place, the neon green and blue auroras flashing through ita, creating a gorgeous pattern that fell on the snow, creating a colorful picture of the young woman. She skidded to a stop, the snow behind her flying up then falling down into a small drift. She dropped to her knees, one small, delicate hand scooping up a thing of snow, dotted by red.

"No." Jade whispered. "No. Please. No." She kept running, then, her feet barely touching the ground as she ran up the last tundra towards the place known as Echidna's Palace, skidding to a stop once again as she stares at the puple-colored gates, each bearing a Statue staring at each other. That wasn't what caught her attention, though - what caught her attention, though, was a piece of black fabric fluttering in the sharp gate catch. "Oh god." Jade whispered again. She pushed through the gate and kept on, not running now, but with delicate, graceful steps that made no sound on the frost-bitten snow.

The first thing that stopped her was the nauseating smell of blood that echoed around her. While she was used to mummifications, she never smelled anything before it happened; Grandfather Harley had been kind to her like that. One hand, the back of it pressed against her mouth, helps keep her steady - until she sees the first patch of blonde hair. "Dave... Dave, oh god, no..." She sobs. She looks across the battlefield; now she understood what John and the Trolls were saying when 'A Alternate Timeline Self is Always Doomed'. She was seeing it in perfect realization - but not acceptance.

"No." Jade stated, shaking as her rifle appeared in her hands. "No. Damn it. NO. I'm the Witch of Space! SPACE! I'm supposed to keep my space safe, safe for all of us, for Rose, for John, for you-- oh Dave..." She reaches down and touches his blonde head of hair, which was slowly staining with red - the red of blood, the red of time, the red of life itself - and Jade starts weeping, quietly, shaking as she stands up, glaring across the way, where the slither of scales across the frost-bitten snow can be heard.

Jade carefully adjusts the tie on Dave's suit, closing her eyes, trying not to cry, trying to keep her emerald gaze steady, hard - as a precious stone can be. There's a warning hiss from the monster behind her. JAde turns, hauling her rifle with her, to look her Denizen in the eye. "I HATE YOU." Jade screams.

The normally calm, but enthuastic one cocks the Hunting Rifle, biting down on her bottom lip as she quickly runs back towards the gates. Another slithering set of scales on snow, and Jade scales the gates nimbly, feeling the power inside of her as her grip steadies. and she takes aim on Echidna's head, the Mother of All Monsters moving slickly, smoothly, twisting this way and that, to dodge all of the bullets that Jade shoots at her. Jade checks her amount of alchemized bullets, and swears softly - she's running slow.

"Jade, RUN!" A voice screams behind her. Jade turns, startled. Dave Strider is running towards the gates, decked out in his casual outfit, the blood-red sleeves on his shirt making Jade have flashbacks. "Dave, but I thought ---" He interrupts her. "I'm the Knight of Time, aren't I? How would I d-- JADE!" Dave Strider finally screams for the first time in his life, as a quill from Echidna's back goes right through Jade's stomach. She looks down, startled, then looks back up at Dave, who stares at her in horror.

Instantly, the Record Time Tables are out, and his fingers are setting the time to return sooner, to stop, to save her - except there's a heavy grinding noise. A Scratch, if you will - as they stop - then disappear. Echidna hisses again, even as Jade's Hunting Rifle falls to Dave's feet - and then Broken Caledfwlch is in his hands and he's attacking Jade's Denizen, knowing that she's supposed to be the one to kill it, knowing that Typheus and Cetus are already dead, and he had only just taken down Hephaestus, and thatif they don't, then everything will stop - and no one will win -

\- battle flashes in front of his red eyes, battle of the kind that Echidna is the Mother of All, and that she has Hephaestus' strength, and Cetus' agility, and Typheus' skills, and that together, she is all and they are none - and that Broken Caledfwlch is stained purple and red and pink and blue and why is it red, that's him, that's his blood, that's his life, he has to get back to Jade - and he drags himself, back to where she lies crumpled in the snow - hearing the hissing, biting, scratchy scales, hearing her come, and knowing that it is his last chance -

\- and it stops momentarily as he reaches behind him and throws Caledfwlch at her, which cycles through to being completely forged, and it takes her in the headcase, and the snake like monstress pauses and squeals, and it hurts - Jade moans - Dave cries out - there is silence - he drops to his knees - Jade rolls over, ripping the quill from her body - they crawl to one another, their blood staining the snow beneath him as she cries and curls up in his arms - and he staggers to his feet, and he's cradling her, and her black hair is stained with blood, and his white shirt is stained with it -

\- and they go together, and when they get close to the monsters writhing body, he puts her down, and there's a cry of pain from her, her body weak, black hair shining as she falls onto her knees - Dave closes his red eyes, unable to accept - she leans forward, and stabs the quill from Echidna's own back into her body - and he shudders - Jade gives an exultant cry - and there's three thuds - one one - two two - three three - and Jade says, softly, "Dave...?"

"Jade..." He opens his eyes then, and she's collapsed on the ground, where he's on his knees - there's tons of grist around, they did it, they won - he tests the Time Record Tables and there's still that horrible, cosmic, hurting scratch, and he knows he can't save either one of them - and she reaches out one pale, skinny arm to him, and he pulls her into his arms, his blood-stained lips pressing against her head, and they are rocking each other, back and forth, back and forth - and she reaches up one bloody hand, and presses it against his cheek -

"My cool kid." She whispers to him, and that finally gets a smile from him, and then her eyes are closing, the color of jade - and he suddenly remembers that Jade means a precious stone - and she couldn't be even more precious to him than she is right now, vulnerable, hurt, but still Jade, and her hand drops from his face - and there's nothing, her chest doesn't move, and the blood is stopping, but there's nothing there anymore, there's no more Jade, and the echoes of her last words fall through his ears -

\- and he presses his forehead to hers, crying, and he whispers, "No... please... I need you." The frost claims her body, and soon claims his, as they fall asleep in the timeless expanse of death that makes him hurt - but there Jade is, and there he is, and all they have time in the world together, now - but they are alone, and it's lonely, and Dave can see every day that being without Rose and John is hurting her even more.

He doesn't know what to do, but there are deals, then there are Deals, and there is a Deal, and there was a deal Made - and Dave reaches towards Jades as they float in the quiet Oblivion - and he presses a hand to her cheek. "I love you." He murmurs softly. She blinks at him, eyes wide. "I love you too..." She whispers - then Dave is fading away, and he's gone now, and Jade finds herself screaming and then there's a flash of light and she's in the Land of Light and Rain --

And Rose is there, explaining that Dave gave it all up for Jade to come back, and suddenly she realizes --

\-- that without him, there's no point in living, and she cries.

She cries for the Knight that saved the Princess, and for the Princess that had it all, and was just lonely, and she regrets the fact that her emotions made him do it.

Somewhere in time, Dave Strider smiles as Jade Harley looks up into the sky and blows a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Why do you guys let me write sad stories. WHY.


End file.
